Is it just me or is everyone sick of hearing about the iPod? Everywhere I look someone has one, or there's *that* advert on TV. I turn to my boyfriend for an iPod free zone, and what does he do? He goes and buys one! Being the lovely girlfriend that I am, and a dedicated ciao reviewer, I just had to try it. I owe my fellow Ciaoers a review on this 'wonderous' piece of machinery to see what all the hype is about. Despite my cynicism, I was pleasantly surprised….

***Whose bright idea was this?***
It's the Internet's fault! File sharing became a huge phenomenon with the launch of the Net, and it was only a matter of time before music sharing would take off. When Napster came to our attention, the MP3 revolution was born, and the rest is history. Being a skint teenager, I would download (slaps wrists) mp3 files and play them on my computer. It was only a matter of time before an MP3 player was released. Now, I was also one of those gadget loving teenagers that had to have the latest gizmo to look cool (being myself just wasn't enough!). I purchased one of the first models from Samsung. It rocked! The quality was great; however, the disk size was only around 32mb, which could only hold around 10 good quality songs. It was also tricky to use. So, there was a gap in the market for an MP3 player that could hold more songs, look good and be user friendly. Along come Apple with the iPod and revolutionised the MP3 player market with a stomping size hard disk of 60 gb that holds 10,000 songs and a Microsoft-esque interface that even your granny could use. I have always been sceptical about the Apple. Who needs so much space a cost of £200. Almost as quickly as the question could be answered Apple stormed onto the market yet again with the iPod mini.

***Specification***
In order to appreciate the iPod, a more detailed overview of the spec is needed…

-Battery Life: Apple claim the battery lasts 8 hours on a standard charge. However, I find that a max of 6 hours is more accurate. It then takes roughly 4 hours to fully charge from empty. The other disadvantage to the battery is that it is a sealed unit, so the battery isn't user serviceable. The battery will obviously at some point where out and this can be replaced at an Apple service centre for around £75. Very expensive!

-Sound Quality: One of the iPods best features. It has an equalizer with 22 different settings. Although the changes are very subtle, it really does make a difference when rocking out to Metallica, or listening to the chilled sounds of Santana.

Dock Connector to FireWire Cable
Dock connector to USB 2.0 Cable
Belt Clip
Power Adapter
Apple Earphones with 2 spare buds.

***The above are all well and good but can my granny use it?***
The first time I used the iPod I couldn't figure out the how to move the scroll-wheel to select a track. After a few fiddles I got the hang of it and was happily immersed in my iPod world. To navigate, all the functions are operated by this wheel, which sits in the middle of the iPod. It is basically a touch sensitive pad with a button that lies in the middle. When you're in a folder, to scroll down you run your finger over the pad in a clockwise motion, and vice versa for scrolling up. The same action is used for the volume which is controlled when you have selected the song. When you have selected the song, you can also skip through the tracks by pressing the left or right buttons. Holding down the buttons skips though the song. On the bottom of the pad is the pause/play button which acts as the off switch.

***Sounds great! How do I Upload tracks?***
Very easily as a matter of fact! The software used to transfer songs is iTunes, which has a simple-easy-to-navigate interface. Once you have installed it on your PC, you need to attach the iPod via the USB port to the computer, which will then synchronise with the files available. It only takes 30 seconds to transfer one album onto the iPod, which I found impressive, as it would take around 10-15 minutes with my first MP3 player! The only time consuming factor was transferring songs from CD to iTunes. This can take up to 30 mins, depending on how many tracks you want to transfer.

***What other tricks can it do?***
At first, I was more excited by the extras that come with the iPod than listening to the tracks! It comes with an address book, calendar, alarm, and there are even some games, great if you get bored listening to the same old tracks, or if you are travelling. I found the music quiz extraordinary! It plays clips of songs from your library and you have to identify the song within the time limit. Very impressive! Apart from the games, I have found no use for the contacts or calendar function, as I have this already on my mobile.

***Ok, so what's the damage to my wallet?***
Prices vary, but average is around £139. My boyfriend bought his from a friend for £100, and I'm sure you can buy them quite cheaply from ebay. The best advice I can give is to shop around. Some store will always be running some kind of promotion.

*** Extra's Extra's read all about `em!***
You can look extra cool with these funky accessories. These can be bought separate from the iPod website or from any good retailer!
Power adapter
Mini dock
Remote
Earphones
Mini Armband
In-Ear Headphones
stereo connection kit
Car connector
Dock Connector to FireWire Cable
World Travel Adapter Kit
IPod cover